Surnames: Kennedy, Playford, O'Neil
Robert Playford Kennedy is one of the most dashing and brilliant attorneys of Fayette county or indeed of Pennsylvania herself; and as a criminal lawyer is without a peer among the younger attorneys of the State in his consummate skill and admirable tact in preparing and presenting a case to a jury. He is truly a fit representative of the professional young men of the day whose future is bright before them.He is of Scotch Irish and English extraction and was born at Brownsville, Fayette county, Pena, August 14, 1856. His father, the Rev Dr David Kennedy, is a native of Paisley, Scotland, educated broad and received his collegiat and theological degrees in Scotland and Ireland. He came to this country when a young man and while living in Philadelphia studied medicine and was graduated at Jefferson Medical College. Dr Kennedy married Miss Caroline Playford, a daughter of Dr Robert W
Playford, the latter a native of London, England, a graduate of Oxford University, and for many years one of the most successful and able physicians of Western Pennsylvania.Robert P Kennedy was reared at Brownsville at the home of his grandparents and received his rudimentary education in the schools of his native town. He became, as it were, one of his grandfather's family and after the death of Dr Playford in 1867, continued to make his home with
his grandmother, Mrs Margaret A Playford, until he came to Uniontown in 1878 to finish his legal studies. In 1873 he entered Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, Penna, and for two years stood at the head of his classes when he left and went to Lafayette College, Easton, Penna,
where he graduated in 1877, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Three years later he had the honorary degree of Master of Arts conferred upon him by the same institution.He read law at Uniontown with his uncle, the Hon Willliam H Playford, one of the ablest and most eloquent jurists of the day; was admitted to the Fayette county bar in 1879 and immediately entered upon the active practice of his profession. One the retirement virtually of Mr Playford from professional work in 1883, Mr Kennedy succeeded to much of his large and remunerative clientage and of late years has beenprominently identified with many of the most important cases tried in the county. His practice is not confined to the courts of Fayette alone, but in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as well as in counties adjacent to Fayette and other points in the State. He has successfully engaged in the trial or argument of causes and whenever heard is recognized as one of the brightest exponents of his profession. At home he has a large civil and criminal practice and in the latter branch of the law may be safely said to be without superior in Fayette county where he has the largest criminal practice of any attorney at the bar. He has often defended with astonishing success, men and women who have had testimony submitted against them that seemed to warrant their conviction.
On August 14, 1883, Mr Kennedy was married at Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, to Miss Ratie C O'Neil, a daughter of Captain W W O'Neil, a prominent businessman of Pittsburgh and the president of the Marine Bank there. They have three children: O'Neil Kennedy; Harold Kennedy; and Ralph Kennedy.
In stature Mr Kennedy is tall and commanding; of mind he is broad and liberal; by temperament he is genial, quick and sympathetic, which infused into his clear cut, forcible and eloquent addresses gives him great influence and power over his hearers. Sanguine and cheerful, free and unselfish, he is at once attractive and engaging. As an advocate he wins a case by careful and searching examination of witnesses, followed by an earnest and masterly presentation of their testimony in his argument to the jury. His future is bright for continued honors in his chosen profession.